1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to power conversion systems and especially to such systems which are designed to convert wind power into electrical energy through rotation of a turbine or blade.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The energy crisis which the world is now experiencing is felt by many if not all people. There is no reason to hope that the crisis will be abated in the near future and thus it is necessary to utilize as many sources of energy as are available. One commonly known but relatively little used source of energy is the natural energy created by the wind.
Many devices have been suggested for harnessing wind energy. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,876,595, issued Sept. 13, 1932, to Beldimano, shows a generating apparatus comprising a vertically disposed flexible net, the meshes of which constitute a plurality of juxtaposed apertures in which separate wind wheels are mounted. The space existing between the apertures is covered by solid wall pieces of sheet metal or the like so that no wind can pass uselessly through the net between the individual wheels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,658, issued July 12, 1977, to Diggs, shows a wind turbine including a module which encloses four wind turbine units. The face of each unit is composed of a wind directional cowling. The module is mounted on a rotatable platform so as to enable the module to face the wind at all times.